killher wrote:Does anybody know if this is the charger that will allow you to charge just one battery at a time or do you have to charge in pairs?

the one in the picture will only do pairs.

UPDATE: THESE ARE 2ND GENERATION ENELOOPS. THEY HAVE 1500 RECHARGE CYCLES, NOT 1000 AS STATED IN THE DESCRIPTION. See this update by ThunderThighs.
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FYI, these are First Generation Eneloops. You can get cheaper versions of these batteries from other companies, i.e. Duracell. They're often labeled as "pre-charged." But heck, they're nowhere near as festive!

Eneloops are currently in its 3rd Generation.

1st Generation (2005)
1000 recharge cycles, 80% capacity after 1 yr
2nd Generation (2010)
1500 recharge cycles. 1 yr=85% ; 2 yrs=80%; 3 yrs=75%
3rd Generation (2011)
1800 recharge cycles. 1 yr=90% ; 2 yrs=>80%; 3 yrs=80%; 6 yrs=70%

I exclude specialty batteries like Eneloop Lite, which has low capacity but 2000 recharge cycles. Some people prefer them because the low capacity means they charge faster.

Will the IGo Green battery charger work with these?????

UPDATE: THESE ARE 2ND GENERATION ENELOOPS. THEY HAVE 1500 RECHARGE CYCLES, NOT 1000 AS STATED IN THE DESCRIPTION. See this update by ThunderThighs.
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tesla33 wrote:Many NiMH batteries will last for thousands of charges, at least if not abused. Eneloops are the Gold Standard, though. The biggest advantage is that they still have 85% of their charge after one year of storage (at room temperature). The real retail value of this set (in plain white), if you know where to look, is about $45, so they are still about half off. And, uh, colorful...

No, these are 1st Generation Eneloops so they only hold around 80% of their charge after 1 year. Only 2nd Generation Eneloops retain 85%. Best are 3rd Generation Eneloops released last year. They retain about 90% of full capacity after a year, and up to 70% after 5 years.

Your price comparison is way off for 1st Generation Eneloops, whose specs are matched by all other Low Self-Discharge batteries from other companies. Woot has sold Duracell and Kodak LSDs for much less.

I LOVE Eneloops but won't pay more than $8-9 for a 4-pack of AA. These are overpriced, who cares if they sparkle? Just wait for a real sale.

fizz98 wrote:Will the IGo Green battery charger work with these?????

Yes, but you must choose the NiMH setting (NOT alkaline). Any NiMH charger will work with Eneloops and other LSD batteries. Try to use a smart charger that monitors each battery individually.

UPDATE: THESE ARE 2ND GENERATION ENELOOPS. THEY HAVE 1500 RECHARGE CYCLES, NOT 1000 AS STATED IN THE DESCRIPTION. See this update by ThunderThighs.
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wings2004 wrote:If you already have a charger I would say they aren't worth it. I just bought a ten pack from amazon here for the same price and prime shipping.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005VTEWB8

Also the "new" eneloop batteries say they are good for 1500 recharges and the old ones were 1000, so which are these?

These are the oldest version, first sold in 2005. The newest ones, released last year, actually have 1800 recharge cycles. Please see my previous post for a detailed comparison of various Eneloops. I exclude specialty batteries like Eneloop Lite, which has low capacity but 2000 recharge cycles.

sdc100 wrote:Yes, but you must choose the NiMH setting (NOT alkaline). Any NiMH charger will work with Eneloops and other LSD batteries. Try to use a smart charger that monitors each battery individually.

Thanks for the info! I have two of the IGO Green chargers, and I didn't realize that it charges both types of batteries. Thanks again!

UPDATE: THESE ARE 2ND GENERATION ENELOOPS. THEY HAVE 1500 RECHARGE CYCLES, NOT 1000 AS STATED IN THE DESCRIPTION. See this update by ThunderThighs.
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ThunderThighs wrote:Everything I'm seeing says they're 2nd generation.

According to Woot's description, these only have 1000 recharge cycles. 2nd Generation Eneloops have 1500 cycles.

See this guide.

PS -love you!

I'm pretty sure these are 2nd generation ... check the date on this release:

Sanyo glams up Eneloop batteries for fifth anniversary
Posted Oct 26th, 2010

The 3rd gens are available for $40 for 16 without charger on amazon.

My Nikon takes 6 in the chamber and 2 in the flash ... I'm torn to get two of these, or 16 3rd gens and an 8-bay charger separately for a few more bucks.

Your last post with the link to the guide seems to confirm these are 2nd gen:

2nd Generation Eneloops model numbers and specs
AA: HR-3UTGA 1500cycles Rated 2,000mAh. Min. 1,900mAh

Special editions:
AA: HR-3UTGA-8*8SL: glitter tones: (Japan November 2010)

SPARKLE RAINBOW!

True actual Eneloop story. My sweetie got obsessed with them last year, has one of those smart chargers, all that. I am away at grad school most of the year. So at some point during midterms or finals or something, I was freaking out that some piece of tech I had wasn't working, I didn't have good batteries -- and he sent me Eneloops of my own as a present. I was incredibly happy!

But then, I went out of town and left some charging and when I came back, they were missing. My roommate says, "Oh, I used them and tossed those out, I will buy you more." I explain to her that they were a GIFT and I don't want ones she gets me. And eventually, the truth came out -- she put them in her RABBIT Red Rider BB Gun while I was out of town, in the wrong orientation, and they got stuck in the thing, and she ruined the Red Rider BB Gun and the batteries.

So, my batteries got replaced, and she got a new Rabbit vibe, and swore never to use my Eneloops again. And if I thought *that* set was sweet and romantic, sparkly rainbow ones are the MOST ROMANTIC GEEKY THING EVAR, at least if you have a lot of battery needs. But be careful how you put them a Red Rider BB Gun, or you'll ruin everything.

fizz98 wrote:Thanks for the info! I have two of the IGO Green chargers, and I didn't realize that it charges both types of batteries. Thanks again!

I think it comes with rechargeable alkaline batteries. I don't know if it automatically detects Alkaline vs NiMH, or whether you have to manually choose.

As an aside, unlike NiMH batteries, alkalines must be charged when it's about 25-50% depleted. if you wait until it's empty, you've ruined the battery. That's why rechargeable alkalines are a dead technology.

*chortle* I'm assuming you all can guess my roommate doesn't have a Rabbit bb gun. She's got a Rabbit lady-toy, if you know what I mean. *cough cough* YOU'LL SHOOT YOUR EYE OUT.

craigthom wrote:A smart charger that detects when they are charged, rather than just charging a fixed amoint of time, is even better. That way you can charge quickly without fear of damage.

The heat produced by fast charging can shorten their lifespan, even when using a smart charger. That's why most good smart chargers have a "soft" or "slow charge" mode that charges more slowly.

UPDATE: THESE ARE 2ND GENERATION ENELOOPS. THEY HAVE 1500 RECHARGE CYCLES, NOT 1000 AS STATED IN THE DESCRIPTION. See this update by ThunderThighs.
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ThunderThighs wrote:I'm going to get that confirmed in the morning. The suffix to the part number (UTGA) puts them with the 2nd generation.

Thanks. I based my post purely on the recharge cycles, not model number. My initial reference was Wikipedia, which only listed recharge cycles. The link I later provided was more comprehensive.

Thanks for checking it out. I'd buy these if they are 2nd generation, but not 1st.

UPDATE: THESE ARE 2ND GENERATION ENELOOPS. THEY HAVE 1500 RECHARGE CYCLES, NOT 1000 AS STATED IN THE DESCRIPTION. See this update by ThunderThighs.
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zonkerrob wrote:Your last post with the link to the guide seems to confirm these are 2nd gen:

2nd Generation Eneloops model numbers and specs
AA: HR-3UTGA 1500cycles Rated 2,000mAh. Min. 1,900mAh

Unfortunately, my initial post was base don Wikipedia, which only listed recharge cycles and not model numbers. Woot's model number indicates that these are 2nd generation but the 1000 recharge cycle in the Description indicates that these are 1st generation. ThunderThighs said that she'll try to resolve the conflict by morning.

zonkerrob wrote:I'm pretty sure these are 2nd generation ... check the date on this release:

Sanyo glams up Eneloop batteries for fifth anniversary
Posted Oct 26th, 2010

Please note that the date isn't reliable because 1st Generation Eneloops are still being manufactured. Many people prefer the lower price and don't need the extreme low self-discharge of later generations. The 1st Generation Eneloops are also being rebranded by other companies. For example, white-top Duracells were identical to 1st generation Eneloops.

Eneloops are great batteries - I have lots of them and bought a smart charger for them. That said, don't think this is a great deal - not bad but not great. Pretty sure Costco sells them for $20 for 12 but might be 10 but in any case, > 8

sdc100 wrote:Please note that the date isn't reliable because 1st Generation Eneloops are still being manufactured. Many people prefer the lower price and don't need the extreme low self-discharge of later generations. The 1st Generation Eneloops are also being rebranded by other companies. For example, white-top Duracells were identical to 1st generation Eneloops.

Thanks. Your information is always valued.

tesla33 wrote:Just to keep expectations reasonable, Eneloops do share a flaw with most other rechargeable batteries: the 1.2 volt average voltage will cause many devices like typical digital cameras to shut down with most of the charge still unused. This is because the device thinks that 1.2, (or 1.99) volts means "dead."

FWIW, I use Eneloop batteries exclusively in my external camera flash and they're fantastic. I love them enough that I've bought several more packs of AAs for my remotes, my Magic Trackpad, my Magic Mouse, and a set of AAAs for my travel bluetooth mouse. I also got the USB charger so I don't need to carry the full-sized charger when I travel.

Costco usually sells a rather large package with a pile of AA and a handful of AAA batteries, the charger, and some adapters that allow you to use these as C and/or Ds (which I've never tried - it seems silly to use a low mhA battery in place of one expected to put out a lot more power).

zonkerrob wrote:Thanks. Your information is always valued.

THANKS! But as it turns out, I was wrong and you were right. ThunderThighs has confirmed that these are indeed 2nd generation.

For those who wants higher capacity Eneloops, there is also Eneloop XX. Not cost effective - you pay double for about 25% more capacity (2500 mAH). It's also LSD, but doesn't hold its charge nearly as well (but still quite decent).

I use regular Eneloops in my external camera flash. It recharges the flash faster than AA, lasts longer, and ends up being cheaper. Win all around.

CooperDude wrote:The greatest thing about eneloop batteries certainly isn't their color. It's that they will hold their charge for an extraordinary time and that they can be recharged so many times over the years. That's what sets them apart from typical rechargable batteries...and why they're so expensive.

Yes, besides the low self-discharge (LSD) rate and the number of rechargeable cycles, the Eneloops also have incredible low internal resistance, making them VERY good for high-discharge appliances (many toys, anything with motors, camera flashes etc.).

That's why all high-end wedding photographers use Eneloops in their flashes, it is quite simply the best for the purpose. I personally use Eneloop (1st, 2nd and 3rd Gen and the XXX series) exclusively. Even my 1st Gen batteries are still holding up after 4 years of ownership. No other NiMh in my collection has held up even half as long both in use and in storage.

Darksoul13 wrote:Please tell me I can get the non fabulous type of battery. I just want something that does not sparkle please.

You can peel off the sparkly plastic wrapper and have just a bare metal battery. To keep them from short circuiting don't use or store them in metal enclosures.

sdc100 wrote:THANKS! But as it turns out, I was wrong and you were right. ThunderThighs has confirmed that these are indeed 2nd generation.

No right or wrong. Your research was sound, and I learned something pretty useful from figuring it out together.

In for 2.

ThunderThighs wrote: FEATURES UPDATED

I woke up poor Eric because I thought this was important. He has updated the features to 1500 charges per the eneloop page on the Glitter Limited Edition batteries.

Thanks, you just made a sale. Three sales, actually, because the festive colors make them great stocking stuffers. And you're right, the info matters because this is a good deal for 2nd generation but overpriced for 1st generation.

I've updated all my related posts with this addendum (because I'm too lazy to do a proper edit):
"UPDATE: THESE ARE 2ND GENERATION ENELOOPS. THEY HAVE 1500 RECHARGE CYCLES, NOT 1000 AS STATED IN THE DESCRIPTION. See this update by ThunderThighs."

PS - I posted the addendum before you stated that Eric changed the Description.

zonkerrob wrote:No right or wrong. Your research was sound, and I learned something pretty useful from figuring it out together.

In for 2.

Kumbaya!!! (the original meaning)
Happy Holidays!

They are absolutely worth it. These are fantastic batteries. Not only do they hold a fanstastic charge, they don't heat up as quick, AND, they hold their charge for a YEAR without discharging on their own.

I use them in speedlite flashes for my DSLR, and I can leave them in my camera bag for months and have no reservations about pulling them out and getting 300-400 flashes out of them.

For high draw devices there is no other. Digital cameras, flashes, toys, etc. It's the way to go. $23 for an 8 pack with charger is a pretty good deal, but not stellar. But I still wouldn't hesitate to buy these up if you need them!

I've heard great things about the Eneloop batteries, but I'm a little worried about the charger this deal comes with.

Can anyone recommend a good smart charger that will tell me when the batteries are ready?

These are incredible batteries; I use them in my external flash unit for my DSLR and hardly ever have to charge them!

These are absolutely not worth it. The batteries are great but the charger is junk. Never use a charger that can only charge in pairs. Get an 8 pack of eneloops for a lot less than these then spend a little extra on a good charger.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003GS6FIE

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001DL9WDG

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0031ERMO4

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000RSOV50

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004J6DLD4

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NLUSLM

sdc100 wrote:THANKS! But as it turns out, I was wrong and you were right. ThunderThighs has confirmed that these are indeed 2nd generation.

I accept your apology. ;-)

bondiablo wrote:These are absolutely not worth it. The batteries are great but the charger is junk. Never use a charger that can only charge in pairs. Get an 8 pack of eneloops for a lot less than these then spend a little extra on a good charger.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003GS6FIE

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001DL9WDG

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0031ERMO4

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000RSOV50

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004J6DLD4

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NLUSLM

I fail to see what the point of spamming half those links was... As many people have pointed out, this isn't a great deal but it is still a deal, show me where you can get an 8 pack for "that much cheaper" with charger. And some of your links were for quick chargers that came with "lower quality" batteries as a throw in. I'll give the La Crosse, that's what I recently bought, but by your post I was hoping to find a set of cheap eneloops, but as it stands the best deal out there is still the 10 pack on amazon or this if you want/need a charger.